Surprise!
by shinyunicorn
Summary: Rainbowy one-shot full of cute (Ezria) moments and an adorable Malcolm, whose birthday we're celebrating. Ezra, the girls, Toby and Mike have a little surprise for the boy; but he has a big surprise for them too (especially for Aria). One-shot. (Malcolm is Ezra's son in this fanfic.)


**Thanks to my beta, Marcia794, for reading and correcting everything I send her. Thanks to everyone who takes some time to read my stories too, I really hope you enjoy them.**

**Surprise!**

The door bell rang and Ezra stood up from his couch, smiling to the voices that were coming out of his door. He opened the door and of all the happy faces he saw, his attention was instantly drawn to the most beautiful one, that of his girlfriend. He smiled kindly to the others who greeted him with amused 'hellos' and kissed her chastely on the lips; although he had seen her that morning at their English class and later when she sneaked into the classroom for a few kisses as she usually did, he still missed her.

"You're blocking the entrance and we're holding like a thousand boxes, Mr. Fitz!" Hanna cried trying to feign an annoyed voice. The couple smiled into each other's lips and as they pulled apart, Ezra looked up to Hanna.

"As you can see," he stood aside and let them all go inside, waiting for Hanna as she was the last in the row, "I wasn't the only one blocking the entrance."

"Ha ha." The blonde girl rolled her eyes and followed her friends inside their English teacher's apartment. Ezra, still smiling, closed the door and found himself so happy that all these people were there tonight. Aria, Hanna, Spencer, Emily and Mike would help him decorate the place and set up a surprise party for Malcolm's eighth birthday. The idea was Aria's and they both thought that it was a good chance to show the little boy how much they cared about him.

_**Ezra was cuddling with his girlfriend on his couch, watching an old movie and just spending some time together, enjoying this free-of-Malcolm evening. It's not that he didn't adore his son; he did, with everything he had. And he loved spending time with him, but he just missed Aria so much. It wasn't enough, just two or three sleepovers during the week, just watching her over his desk while teaching them English literature, just a few stolen kisses while the boy was happily drawing or watching cartoons. He wanted to just sit with her in the silent apartment and enjoy this; being with her. Make love to her and hold her in his arms until dawn, wake up to her beautiful smile and join her in her morning shower and -**_

_**"Ezra, do you know what this Friday is?" Aria looked up at him as an idea popped into her mind, totally oblivious to her boyfriend's dirty thoughts, but her smile slowly turned into a mischievous grin when she noticed that he was blushing. "Is there any particular thought of yours that you would like to share with me?" He was still looking at her in a mysterious way and tried to jump off that train of thought. He cleared his throat and focused his attention in Aria's earlier words.**_

_**"You were talking about this Friday?" She smiled and decided to forget about it for now; maybe she would bring this moment up later, while they were in bed. **_

_**"Yeah, this Friday."**_

_**"What's about that day?"**_

_**"You are supposed to be the father. I am supposed to simply be the father's girlfriend." **_

_**"Oh, right. Malcolm's birthday." He loved his son. But thinking about his girlfriend naked in his shower could easily distract him. Aria's eyes lit up and she caught his hands in her tiny ones, looking into his eyes.**_

_**"What about throwing a surprise party for him, Ezra? It would make him so happy!" She said, clapping her hands like a little kid. He couldn't say no because apart from the fact that he loved the idea, he just couldn't deny her anything when she looked at him that way, being so excited about something as simple as a party. One of the things he loved about her was her ability to act as an enthusiastic child while she was basically an amazing woman.**_

_**"Actually, Maggie called earlier and said that she has an urgent appointment on Friday evening and asked me to take Malcolm. She's thinking about inviting some of his friends from school on Saturday."**_

_**"That's awesome! Should I invite the girls too? We can go **__**to**__** the mall tomorrow after school and buy party decorations and I will bake him a birthday cake!" Her smile was about to split her face in two, she was so happy that they would do this together. After all these months, she never felt uncomfortable near the cute boy. Ezra was a part of her life and so was his son, but she felt nothing but total bliss about it. Sure, she missed her boyfriend. She missed him like hell and the child was a real pain in the ass some days -some horny nights especially- but even now, after all this time they had been together, barely nothing had changed between them. Or maybe something had changed; they found themselves more in love with each other.**_

_**"We can do whatever you want as long as I can see this smile on your lips."**_

_**"Is my smile the only thing you like about my lips?" Aria raised a perfect eyebrow and squealed as her boyfriend grabbed her legs and placing them over his lap, brought her small body closer to his. Then he started kissing her neck and she put her hands into his hair holding him there, all thoughts about the surprise party forgotten.**_

For the past three days Aria had been in a frenzy preparing the party for the little boy. She spent the whole Wednesday evening at the mall, buying birthday stuff with Hanna: the ingredients for the cake, colorful balloons, a huge Playmobil package as hers and Ezra's gift and birthday decorations for the small apartment with Spongebob on them. The little boy loved Spongebob and Aria loved watching it with him, her arms wrapped around his small body and their laughter echoing in the apartment.

They were both so excited about this party, it was the first time Ezra got to spend his son's birthday with him anyway. He had missed so much of his life and this was his first opportunity to celebrate something so important with his son.

"Can I help with anything?" the proud Dad asked, as he was watching his students decorating the tiny place. Hanna seemed to be the organizer as she bossed everyone around, on where the presents would be placed or where they would hang the_ ' The party is here!' _sign. Aria came behind him and gave him a peck on his cheek.

"You can be useful by starting blowing a few of the million balloons Hanna purchased." She shrugged and he looked at her with wide open eyes. "Go on, we don't have much time!" Ezra chuckled and approached his couch where the party stuff rested, determined to help.

"Who knew that Mr. Fitz's favourite past-time would be blowing balloons apart from reading Harper Lee?" Everyone laughed at Spencer's words apart from Aria who just rolled her eyes.

"No, reading Harper Lee is not my favourite past-time." Ezra replied to her with a serious face, trying not to laugh.

"Oh? Then, let me guess." Spencer tapped her chin with a finger before folding her arms across her torso, imitating Mr. Fitz's posture in class. "Is it reading Scott Fitzgerald?"

"Actually, my favourite past-time includes Aria in it." Spencer's eyes almost rolled off her face and Ezra winked at her.

Mike couldn't help but laugh; he didn't feel too comfortable in the mention of his sister's sex life but he liked Fitz more and more. And one evening when Aria asked him to go with her and little Malcolm to the movies was the basic reason he was here. The little boy was too excited about meeting Aria's brother and they actually had a good time together; three kids having fun. Well, two and a half, as Aria was growing into a strong woman day by day.

Ezra carried on with his task when he heard a knock on his door. "That must be Toby!" Spencer called and headed for the door. Ezra didn't feel so uncomfortable around him as he wasn't his student, he told himself that Toby was at least an older child. But he still was a child compared to him. The blonde boy walked into the apartment and gave a handshake to Ezra.

"Lovely place you have here, Mr. Fitz." Ezra winced.

"Please, call me Ezra." He gave him a smile and turned his attention back to his green balloon, when he felt the couch sink beside him. Emily had noticed his awkward expression since they had all fit in his apartment, and she didn't like it.

"Ezra, can I talk to you?" She said in a soft voice, trying not to gather any attention. Ezra just smiled and nodded for her to go on. "I just wanted to tell you that you don't have any reason to feel uncomfortable around us. Your relationship with Aria may seem wrong to a lot of people but not to us. We know how much you love each other." Emily looked him in the eyes trying to comfort him.

"Thank you, Emily. Her friends' opinions do matter, you know. You give her strength." As he talked his eyes were fixated on his beautiful girlfriend who was occupying herself in the kitchen.

"No, we don't. Your love gives her strength and I'm so proud of you. Fighting for what you love is not easy, but we have to. Because otherwise we would lose ourselves." Ezra realized at that moment that Emily wasn't talking just about him and Aria, but for herself too. It wasn't easy to accept who she was, it wasn't easy to say it out loud either. But she tried and she achieved it and now she had Paige in her life. She had done it, and Ezra would do the same. He would keep fighting for what he loved because people's opinion didn't matter.

Aria was by the counter, adding the last details on the cake that was spread with chocolate flavored frosting. Using a pastry bag she wrote _'Happy Birthday Malcolm'_ with blue-colored cream and in the end she added eight blue candles. When she was finished and totally satisfied with her work, she felt two arms being wrapped around her waist.

"This is perfect." The velvet voice said. "And actually, I'm a little jealous." Ezra kissed her neck and she shuddered. Smiling, she turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, looking admiringly into his blue eyes.

"Does my 25 year-old boyfriend want a chocolate-flavored cake for his next birthday?" They both giggled and Ezra tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Thank you so much Aria, for everything." He paused and searched for the right words; he wanted to make her understand how thankful he was for her actions and her feelings about this situation. "Nobody would do all the things you do about him." He was serious now and it melted Aria's heart, to see that a simple thing like a birthday party for his son could make him so thankful for her.

"He's your son, Ezra. How could I _**not **_love him?" With that, she stood on her toes and reached his lips, bringing him down into a sweet kiss that soon turned into a passionate one, as he slid his tongue along her bottom lip and she tightened her grip, bringing her body closer to his.

"ENOUGH PDA," Spencer screamed next to their heads, "for a day, don't you think?"

"Oh my God, Spencer!" Aria turned to her best friend with an annoyed look and Ezra chuckled, never releasing her waist.

"You know what, Malcolm will be here soon and I'm tired of you making out everywhere possible." She crossed her arms and gave them a stubborn look.

"What's your problem exactly?" Aria was rarely shaken but her friend's words.

"Maybe you could wait for us to leave so you can create more sacred grounds in this -"

"Were you leaving, Spencer?" Ezra tried to act as Mr. Fitz but he couldn't hide his amusement as she pursed her lips and turned around in a totally theatrical way. Then he turned to Aria with a smile playing on his lips. "Did she say something about a sacred ground?" Aria ignored his tone and waved off the question, and when Ezra was about to open his mouth and tease her some more his phone rang. Hanna who was next to the small table noticed the caller's ID and squealed.

"Oh my God, it's Maggie! Get ready!" Everyone ran here and there, Aria and Ezra lighting up the candles and everyone else taking their positions and wearing their birthday hats on their heads, until they heard a soft knock on the door. Aria took the cake in her hands and approached the door with Ezra by her side, who opened the door just when Mike switched off the lights. Maggie and Malcolm stepped into the apartment and everyone screamed.

"Surprise!" Malcolm was startled for a moment but when he noticed his dear friend holding a birthday cake his eyes lit up. His parents and his new friends were singing the 'Happy Birthday' song and when they were finished Aria got closer to him so he could blow the candles.

"Wait!" Hanna's voice made the little boy turn around and he looked at her with disappointment. "Don't forget to make a wish! And don't tell us what you wished for!" Her smile faded off when she noticed the menacing looks everyone was giving her.

"He's just a little boy, Hanna!" Spencer whispered frustrated. Hanna shrugged and looked at Malcolm who was deep in thought. Then, a smile appeared across his face and he blew up his eight candles. Everyone clapped and cheered, and Ezra swept him of his feet.

"Happy birthday, buddy." He gave him a kiss on the forehead and the little boy wrapped his tiny arms around his neck. "I'm so proud of my big boy!" Malcolm giggled and seemed thrilled, he always wanted to become a big boy, like his father. Aria had put the cake in the fridge so they could eat it later and got back to wish the boy a happy birthday. Maggie couldn't hide the small frown as she saw her son kissing Aria's face and laughing as she hugged him. She cleared her throat and approached them.

"Ezra, Aria, thank you so much for this." Aria gave her a small smile and taking Malcolm's hand she went to find their friends, where they were taking silly photos with their birthday hats. The woman averted her eyes from the happy scene that was unfolding in front of her, trying to swallow her jealousy. "He seems so happy." Ezra nodded, a radiant smile on his lips. He turned to his ex-girlfriend.

"It feels so good to share these moments with him."

"Yeah, I understand." She paused. "Anyway, I have to go now, there's that meeting I have to attend."

"Okay, I will see you tomorrow." He smiled, not once noticing her awkwardness. Or maybe he didn't really care.

"Have a great time, everyone!" Maggie called to them. Malcolm just shouted a 'bye, Mom!' because he was too preoccupied opening his presents. She gave a last smile at Ezra and left the apartment.

Time went by with the eight people who had such a strange relationship between them actually having fun. They played games, they danced, they laughed and ate Aria's too delicious cake. Hanna was sad that Caleb wasn't there and Emily was sad that Paige wasn't either but they couldn't make it. However, that didn't stop them from enjoying themselves; and Hanna basically did that while picking at her teacher.

"Aria, what will happen if I tell you what my wish was?" Malcolm asked at some point, while he was trying to solve a puzzle on the floor with Aria and Spencer.

"It will never happen, so don't tell her!"

"Hanna! If he wants to tell her, then he can." Hanna pouted and didn't argue further. Spencer shook her head in despair and then smiled at the boy, nodding for him to go on. Malcolm turned to Aria with a shy look.

"I wished that I could have a baby brother or sister." Everyone stayed silent and Aria noticed Ezra looking closely at her over the room. How could she explain to the little boy that this could never happen? Ezra didn't try to say anything and save her from this difficult situation. _What a jerk he is_, she thought and gave him a murderous look.

"Well," she muttered, "this can't really happen right now, because Dad and Mom are not together anymore."

"No, Aria!" He looked at her incredulously, like she didn't know that one plus one makes two. "I want a brother or sister by Dad and _**you**_!" He said and hugged her, only to whisper in her ear. "You will be the best mommy!"

Her eyes welled up with tears and she couldn't speak. Her heart clenched and she looked across the room just to find a smiling Ezra looking at them with tears in his eyes. When he caught Aria's eyes, his smile grew and he mouthed to her _'I love you'._

And that was one of the happiest moments in her whole life.

**Please review or pm me, I would love to read your thoughts about this small story! Safe Because of You will be updated this week hopefully; if you haven't read it, please take a look!**

**See you soon**


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